Women, Art and Fibers: Contemporary Responses to Abolition and the Journey North
Location: CVPA Campus Gallery, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA, 02747
Exhibition dates: March 8, 2017 – April 4, 2017
Opening Reception: March 8, 4-6 pm, Comments by the Artists: 5 pm
Guest-Curated by Laurie Carlson Steger and Dr. Memory Holloway
Exhibiting Artists: Cathryn Amidei, Suzi Ballenger, Laurie Carlson Steger, Sonja Dahl, Barbara Eychaner, Brooks Harris Stevens, Karen Hampton, Margaret Leininger, Faith Ringgold, Linda Rhynard, Marcia Weiss, plus members of the Sisters in Stitches Joined by the Cloth Quilt group, Naomi Henry, Lesyslie Rackard, Christie Rawlins-Jackson, Kimberly Radcliffe, and Susi Ryan
Women, Art and Fibers: Contemporary Responses to Abolition and The Journey North, focuses on the influences of the slave trade, the whaling industry and the textile industry which linked New Bedford MA and Savannah, GA.
The exhibition, guest-curated by Laurie Carlson Steger and Dr. Memory Holloway, with work by fifteen fiber artists from across the nation, includes historic garments from the Rotch-Jones Duff House and Garden Museum as well as a story quilt from the New Bedford Historical Society. The opening reception with the comments by the artists is held on Wednesday, March 8, from 4 to 6 pm. Visitors are advised to use Parking Lot 7. An exhibition catalog written by Dr. Memory Holloway, will be available.
The selected works respond to local Quaker and abolitionist histories and stories of the enslaved who escaped via the Underground Railroad, often passing through New Bedford. Traditional and contemporary textile techniques and materials create artworks of compelling solidarity and stature that unite a diverse community.
The exhibition is held in conjunction with International Women’s Month, and New Bedford’s Fiber Art Month.
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Dartmouth Cultural Council, which is a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Additionally, we would like to thank the following for their generous assistance in making this exhibition possible: ACA Galleries in New York City, LCH Designs, New Bedford Historical Society, Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden, Sisters in Stitches Joined by the Cloth with special thanks to Anderson Airmotive Products Company Inc., Fall River, MA.